Night,I send back. I thought it would take me a while to fall asleep, but fatigue drags me under rather quickly.
The next morning, I make my way to the kitchen, intent on checking on Elowen. Right before I get there, I hear an alarm of some kind sounding outside the castle. Just as I’m about to push open the door to the kitchen, it flies towards me. Rauk nearlyruns me over. Without a word to me, he hurries past me. I turn back around and head into the kitchen. “Where’s he going in such a hurry?”
“The alarm’s sounding,” Elowen points out the obvious.
“I hadn’t noticed,” I reply dryly.
She gives me a look. “He has to go; duty demands it.”
“Go where?” I ask.
She shrugs. “To keep the kingdom safe.”
I frown at her non-helpful answer, but I have a more pressing matter to talk about. “About last night,” I begin.
“What about it?” she asks calmly, too calmly.
“Why did you scream?”
“I didn’t.” The fact that she doesn’t skip a beat in answering my question is concerning to me.
I cross my arms over my chest. “I heard you scream.”
She finally looks over at me. “Child, whatever you heard or didn’t hear, it wasn’t me screaming.”
I get the feeling she’s telling me the truth, and now I’m confused. “I know I heard something.”
“Is it possible you were dreaming?”
I open my mouth to refute her words but pause.Could I have been?There’s just enough doubt in my mind that I drop my line of questioning. “Fine. What can I help with?”
“Nothing. Here.” She pulls a plate out from under a linen cloth. “I kept this warm for you.”
“You don’t have to keep cooking for me.” My stomach growls, though, which doesn’t really support my words.
“Child, I have to do something to keep busy. Cooking bringsme such happiness; let me do this. Just eat the food and enjoy it, and that will bring me great joy and fulfillment.”
I slide the plate forward. “Well, I want to do my part to help make you happy.” I stare down at the plate of raisin cakes and plump sausages, and my stomach growls again. I take a bite and close my eyes as I chew. “I’m so glad I can bring you happiness.” Elowen laughs, and I take another bite. When my plate is nearly licked clean, I wash it and help her pick up the kitchen.
“I’m going to go rest for a little bit,” she says as she takes off her apron.
I glance over at her as worry thrums through me. “Are you feeling okay?”
She smiles. “Yes. You don’t need to worry about me.”
I frown, ready to argue but bite my tongue. She’s right; I don’t need to worry about her. I won’t be here long enough to form any relationships. I nod and watch as she leaves the kitchen. I sit in the chair at the table and wonder what in the world I’m going to do with myself today. I’m supposed to be talking Rauk into fighting this war, but if he’s never around, how can I do that? Frustrated, I leave the kitchen and start wandering through the castle. When I get to the locked door on the far side of the castle again, I frown and wonder what Rauk could possibly keep in there that’s locked. Another thought hits me.Where is his room?I frown and think back through the rooms I’ve come across. There have been a lot of them, but I don’t think any of them were his. Come to think of it, I thought that was where the scream came from last night and thought maybe Elowen’s room was this way. Curiosity burns through me.Where would their rooms be, and whycan’t I easily find them?I turn the handle once again, finding it just as locked as it has been the last several times. “Why would you lock your bedroom away, Rauk?” I wonder out loud. I glance around, even as I remember that Elowen is supposed to be taking a nap. If I want to find out what’s behind this closed door, my chance is now. I bend down and examine the lock, but before I can get started, somebody knocks on the massive front door. I debate ignoring it but finally cave when whoever it is won’t stop knocking. I push the same button I watched Elowen push, and all the locks disengage. There’s a fleeting moment of doubt, wondering if I should have opened the front door. For all I know, it could be someone that hates Rauk and is here to kill him. That wouldn’t be too difficult to understand. With a sigh, I pull the door all the way open, relaxing when I see it’s Thorne. “Oh, it’s just you.” He stares down at me, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Did you need something or are you just going to—”
“Come on.”
He turns away and starts down the steps. I throw up my hands. “Where? To do what? I don’t even have shoes on.”
He doesn’t turn back. “Put some on.”
I debate ignoring him and just closing the door, but I have a feeling he’ll just come back. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to take no for an answer. With an irritated sigh, I spin around and make my way back to my room to grab my boots. I slip the knife from the small table next to my bed into my boot and then make my way back to the front door. I glance over at the locked door once more before stepping outside and pulling the huge door shut with a thud. I walk down the steps, refusing to hurry.Thorne waits for me at the bottom of the steps. “Where are we going?” He doesn’t answer but just starts walking. “Is it a rule here?” I ask as I quicken my pace to catch up with him.So much for not hurrying?
“What?”
“Being a jerk, or is that just you and Rauk?” He doesn’t answer, and I walk next to him in silence, wondering what we’re doing. He stops at the same market I went into yesterday. I look up at it and then back at him. “What are we doing here?” He walks inside without answering. I look around the place and confirm that everybody is staring pretty much just as much as they were yesterday. I frown. “Do you people not get visitors here very often?”
